# Della Reese has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212 "2017-11-20T19:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/1 "2017-11-20T19:35:32Z")
Famed singer and actress Della Reese passed away last night at the age of 86. In addition to her R&B career, she found fame on the small screen as Tess on CBS’s _Touched by an Angel_. > **[Della Reese, singer and 'Touched by an Angel' star, dies at 86](https://ew.com/tv/2017/11/20/della-reese-dies-touched-by-an-angel-star-dead/?xid=amprecirc5)** > > Della Reese, the singer and actress who became a household name while starring as a divine supervisor named Tess on CBS' 'Touched by An Angel,' has died at 86, her family and Roma Downey confirmed to EW. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/2 "2017-11-20T19:37:29Z")
She’ll always be a hero to me just for naming her daughter Della Reese, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/3 "2017-11-20T19:40:42Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > She’ll always be a hero to me just for naming her daughter Della Reese, Jr. Or maybe she didn’t. I remember hearing her say she did on an interview but looking now, I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/4 "2017-11-20T19:48:31Z")
I remember her mostly from **Chico and the Man** and appearances on shows like Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and game shows. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/5 "2017-11-20T20:06:28Z")
At first I thought Perry Mason’s secretary, but that’s Della Street (Barbara Hale) who also died in 2017. Are there any Dellas left? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/6 "2017-11-20T20:14:39Z")
I will always remember her getting her pinky toe shot off in _Harlem Nights_ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/7 "2017-11-20T21:17:29Z")
I remember her delivering a line on _Touched By an Angel_ in which she expressed a wish for a child to have “less brain and more heart” or something, which not only stopped me from ever watching that show again, I’m sure it contributed to me becoming an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/8 "2017-11-20T21:38:28Z")
I’ll always remember that if Della Reese is your niece, then Atilla the Hun is your son. (Sanford and Son) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/9 "2017-11-21T01:26:42Z")
I remember her on a LA Law episode where she played a descendant of slave. Her ancestor was a gifted artist and she was trying to claim his paintings but the judge ruled that descendants of the plantation owner is the rightful owner of the paintings. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/10 "2017-11-21T04:22:39Z")
Cueing up Harlem Nights, a tip of the hat. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/11 "2017-11-21T16:17:06Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I will always remember her getting her pinky toe shot off in _Harlem Nights_ Kiss. My. En. TIRE. Ass! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/12 "2017-11-21T21:48:17Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > Kiss. My. En. TIRE. Ass! I would tell you to kiss my ass, but knowing you, you probably can’t find it, you blind motherfucker! ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/della-reese-has-died/802212/13 "2017-11-28T05:32:46Z")
I laid out an obituaries page where hers was sitting RIGHT next to Charles Manson’s. The juxtaposition was … rather odd, to say the least.